26

2012

The Man Behind the Flynn Effect

Interview: James R. Flynn

What’s it like to have an effect named after you? After the landmark publication of What is Intelligence?, eminent professor James R. Flynn became known for the “Flynn Effect”—the finding that there has been a massive increase in IQ test scores between successive generations. In his new book, Are We Getting Smarter?, Flynn considers what this rise in IQ tells us about our minds and society. We sat down recently with Flynn to chat about his groundbreaking research, and what’s next for the Flynn Effect.